Just a part of growing up
by OptimisticCrier
Summary: Taking the phrase, "new year, new me" seriously, they are determined to make senior school year count. However, as they soon come to realize, growing up isn't all it's cracked up to be. Though Buttercup and Bubbles want to leave Townsville for college, Blossom reminds them that staying to keep everyone safe is the top priority, even if that means ignoring what she really wants.
1. Back to school

Hey all! I wrote this mainly for fun after rewatching the original series! All credit goes to Craig McCracken for creating this show for me to have fun writing about ;) !

* * *

Bubbles giggled as she watched the butterflies flutter about on her windowsill. It was the first day of senior year, and she couldn't wait for all the new friends and possibilities she would find. She looked at herself in the mirror, smoothing her dress. The dress came about mid-thigh, light blue in the skirt and white lace for the portion wrapping around her upper torso*. She glanced around the room, looking for her white wedges.

Her walls were a light dusty blue with a white carpet to match, although not much of the carpet could be seen anymore anyways due to her morning routine. She clapped, finally finding her shoes. She twirled in the mirror, liking what she was seeing. Her makeup was perfect: silver glittering eyeshadow, a graceful cat-eye, flawless contour, dust of blush, and an almost nude shade of pink. Humming, she finished applying her highlighter and her light blue hair clip** and bounced down the stairs.

There she found the professor sitting at the kitchen table reading a newspaper. "Good Morning professor!" She chirped, hugging him. He smiled down at the beaming girl.

"Good morning Bubbles, you're sure up early. I don't think I've even heard your sister's alarms go off. While you're here, could you help set the table?" Professor laughed, setting down his newspaper. She nodded and grabbed the dishes, practically skipping to the table.

"I'm so excited! It's the first day of senior year! The first last day of our high school life. I just had to make myself look as gorgeous as possible." Bubbles finished setting up the table. She looked towards the stairs waiting to see her sisters come rushing down. Though they still had close to an hour to get ready, Bubbles thought they would've been up earlier. "I'm surprised they aren't ready yet, I thought they would be excited." Bubbles acknowledged, leaning on the counter beside the professor.

He shook his head, chuckling under his breath. "I'm sure they are Bubbles. They just don't put much emphasis on their fashion as you do." The professor answered, nodding as he heard the sound of classical music ring out. "There's Blossom's alarm now."

Bubbles excitement died down as she noticed the bandages on the professor's hands. "Professor, you're hurt!" Bubbles exclaimed, grabbing his right hand and holding it close to her face. She gave it a gentle kiss. "There, all better! Just like you used to do for me." She released his hand, waiting for him to explain himself.

The professor smiled, before letting out a sigh. "Just some experimentation went wrong again. I think I'm getting closer though, I can feel it." He nodded, determination shining in his eyes.

Bubbles grinning, shaking her head slightly. "I bet you're closer than ever! Can't you tell us what you're doing yet?" Bubbles questioned, using her best puppy-dog eyes she possibly could. Professor shook his head and made a zipping motion on his mouth. Bubbles pouted, turning her attention to the rest of the kitchen. She gasped upon realizing her mistake. "I left my phone and my bag upstairs!" She flew up to her room, passing Blossom on the stairs.

Blossom grabbed the railing, steadying herself. "Hey! We agreed on no flying in the house Bubbles! You almost knocked me over." Blossom scolded, looking for the girl. Amidst her search, she heard rock music blasting. She rolled her eyes at her sister's alarm. She sat her bag and phone down upon walking into the kitchen. "Buttercup's alarm just went off. She needs to start waking up earlier or else we'll be late!" Blossom complained to the professor, walking over and giving him a quick hug.

He exhaled a quiet laugh, focusing on starting breakfast. "Calm down Blossom, it's the first day. I'm sure she'll be better about being on time this year, after all, she almost got kicked off the soccer team last year for it." He comforted, whisking the pancake mix.

Blossom nodded, relaxing her shoulders. "Yeah, you're right professor. I'll cut her some slack. Do you need help preparing breakfast?" Blossom asked, turning to face the stove. She grabbed a pan and the pancake mix from the professor, starting to cook. He kissed her head and thanked her. Blossom turned her attention to the doorway as Bubbles flew in.

"Sorry for almost knocking you over! I forgot about the rule." Bubbles sheepishly apologized, hugging her sister.

Blossom shook her head, hugging her back. "I figured. It's okay, just be more careful please, we have that rule for a reason." Blossom released Bubbles, going back to making pancakes. As she was doing so, Bubbles eyed Blossom's outfit. There she stood in a pink plaid miniskirt***, white blouse****. She wore a pair of black flats, while her hair was held back by a simple heart-shaped clip*****.

Bubbles gasped at the sight of Blossom's missing signature accessory. "Blossom, where's your bow?" Bubbles asked, grabbing the plate of pancakes and sitting them on the table.

Blossom smiled at her sister noticing her outfit. She shook out her hair and twirled around to give Bubbles a better view. "I'm glad you noticed! I decided I wanted to spice it up this year. I don't want to be known for wearing that old bow all the time." She answered, taking a seat next to her sister. Bubbles nodded, understanding. Before she could say anything else, they were interrupted by the third sister's booming music.

Her rock band played from her phone as she dashed into the kitchen. Blossom and Bubbles shook their heads at her. Buttercup danced around the kitchen before giving the professor a quick side hug and sitting down. Buttercup sat there, donning a pair of polka-dotted lime shorts******, and a _Green day_ t-shirt*******. Her new velvet, dark green vans******** scuffed the floor, causing Blossom to 'tsk' at her goofy behavior. Buttercup cut off her music, rolling her eyes at Blossom.

"Good morning Buttercup, you look nice." The professor encouraged, putting the rest of the breakfast on the table and sitting down. Buttercup felt a slight blush crawl on her face as she tried to rub it away. She smiled, digging into her carb-filled breakfast.

"Thanks, professor. I thought I'd try to spice up my style a little bit since we're starting our senior year." Buttercup shrugged, secretly happy at the attention she was getting. Bubbles nodded in agreement, munching on her vegetarian breakfast.

"I think it's a nice change from last year's wardrobe! It's still you, but just a little more feminine." Bubbles clapped for Buttercup, laughing when she began to bow.

Blossom snickered at her sister's behavior as she finished her well-balanced breakfast, putting her dishes in the sink. "Alright hurry up girls, we want to be at school on time. It is our senior year, after all, I want to make a good impression for the teachers!" Blossom ordered, grabbing her cobalt blue kanken backpack. Buttercup and Bubbles scarfed down the rest of their food, and grabbed their bags; Buttercup held her fire engine red messenger bag, while Bubbles held her forest green wheeled backpack.

The professor tilted his head in confusion. "Different colored bags?" He questioned. The girls pecked his cheek each as they piled out the door.

"As we said, we all wanted to spice up this year," Blossom answered, closing

the door behind her. Once the door was closed, she calmly walked to her car, ignoring her sisters fighting to get the front seat. Bubbles grumbled as Buttercup pulled her out of the passenger seat. "Stop fighting and just get in." Blossom started the car, waiting for her sisters to put on their seatbelts. As she pulled away, she couldn't help but notice Buttercup fidgeting in her seat. "Are you really _that_ excited?" Blossom questioned Buttercup, a grin on her face. Usually, Buttercup hated the first day of school.

Buttercup stuck her tongue out at Blossom, rolling her eyes. "Shut up, I'm just excited because I'm going to get varsity on the soccer team this year! I might be able to land a scholarship at some colleges." Buttercup answered, crossing her arms. She smirked, looking back at Blossom. "At least I'm excited to go back for a good reason, you're just excited because you'll get to see a certain someone." Buttercup teased, laughing when she saw the blush crawl onto Blossom's face.

Bubbles giggled, proving Buttercup's point. "We know exactly why you're wearing that, Blossom. You want to get Coach Aker's attention in AP government. That's why you're dressing so mature." Blossom gaped at Bubbles, speechless. Bubbles then turned her attention to Buttercup."Don't think I haven't noticed you. You haven't dressed up this feminine since elementary school. You're hoping Mitch will notice you when you land varsity aren't you?" Bubbles poked fun, knowing it would embarrass Buttercup to no end. Buttercup huffed, trying to reach around and smack Bubbles to get her to stop.

Blossom cleared her throat, causing the two fighting to give their attention to her. "Say whatever you guys will, but it's time we grow up. Boys will come and go all they want, but at least we have each other." Blossom began, smiling at her sisters. The two stopped fighting and returned her fond smile. Blossom looked back at the road, smile no longer on her face.

"And since we have each other, we need to hold each other accountable. You girls know we can't go to college or leave Townsville. We have to stay and keep the townspeople safe." Blossom lectured, her grip tightening on the wheel. She knew how badly she wanted to go to college and leave Townsville as well. The atmosphere in the car diminished as they pulled up to the school.

Buttercup grabbed her bag and flew inside, looking for her friends. There waiting for her in the cafeteria were Mitch, Llyod, and Floyd. She high fived her friends, showing off the new gear she got for soccer. While the boys were examining her things, she pulled out her schedule and went over the numbers once again. She didn't want to end up lost like a loser on her first day! She froze when the familiar axe body spray filled the air.

"What classes do you have?" Mitch's raspy voice echoed in her ear as he leaned down towards her. She swallowed the butterflies forming in her stomach, and thrusted her schedule into Mitch's hands. She quietly watched him, waiting to see what he would say. He hummed, before handing it back to her. "It looks like we don't have any classes together." He acknowledged, pulling out his schedule and confirming.

Buttercup huffed, facing him. "Damnit, how are we going to hang out if we don't have the same class? It's going to be hard to coordinate band practice, especially when you don't have a phone." She complained, packing her things back into her bag. Mitch smirked and pulled out a shiny new iPhone. Buttercup gaped when he handed it to her. "Wow, dude, way to go on not telling me about this bad boy! It looks expensive." Mitch nodded as she put in her digits.

"More expensive than anything you can afford," Mitch confirmed, snickering at Buttercup's furrowed brows.

"Fuck you, what's that supposed to mean?" Buttercup asked, to which Mitch only shrugged. She flipped him off before walking away to her locker. She glanced over her shoulder, sending the group an icy glare. Once she reached her locker, she began taping up pictures of her sisters, friends, and her many victories. She hung a memory board in the back of her locker, covered in tickets from the multiple bands she saw, tickets to her concerts, and pieces of music from her band. She smirked at what she saw, before dropping her school supplies off and heading for her free-block.

Blossom tossed Buttercup a smile as she walked by, heading towards the library to find her friends. When she found the library, she couldn't help but stand in shock for a second at all the alterations they had made during the summer to her paradise. Shaking herself free, she sat down on the couch with her friends, pulling out her laptop. Clara and Kristen welcomed her as the trio began talking about their summer. "I mentored at a research lab. I also went to Florida for about 3 weeks in July." Clara announced, pushing up her glasses.

Kristen and Blossom quietly snapped at the girl's achievements. "Well, I went to Europe this summer. I'll show you guys all the pictures tomorrow when I bring my camera. I also interned at this graphic design place and got to make websites! I can show you guys that too." Kristen explained, her eyes gleaming with excitement and pride.

Blossom quietly laughed at her two friends. She felt her face flush when she realized the two were waiting for her to talk about her summer as well. "I helped save Townsville this summer. I volunteered at the library and helped them organize their books too." Blossom said, embarrassed about her lack of accomplishments and travels. Kristen and Clara patted Blossoms back, before turning to their laptops to work on their dual enrollment classes together.

Blossom sighed, getting up from her seat. "Hey, I'm going to head to APES********* early, see you gals there?" She asked, already leaving before the others had a chance to respond. Before she went to her class, she stopped at her already decorated locker, which had been done at orientation. Her locker had a small calendar, mirror, and sticky notes all over it. These all were put inside to help her organize her schedule. She also had memos of all the clubs she should join that would make her "brag sheet" look even better.

She groaned, taking her laptop and notebook with her to APES. Bubbles shared a sympathetic glance with Blossom as she walked past her, heading straight to her locker. She dropped her things off admiring the contents of her locker. The bottom was lined with a faux white fur, while the sides had endless images of all the animals she had adopted from WWF. In the center, hung a picture in a heart frame of her sisters. She fixed her mirror straight and headed towards the courtyard to find her friends.

She waved and smiled at all the students she passed in the hallway, those new and familiar. She couldn't help but hug a few of her favorite teachers as she walked by. By the time she got to the courtyard, she was overjoyed and ready to see her friends. Robin, Elmer, Jeff, Pablo, and Susie rushed over to hug her when they recognized her familiar face. "I missed you guys so much! How was yall's summer? You guys remember how my sisters and I begged the professor to let us have separate rooms? Well, he let us and I got to redecorate my whole room! Oh, and I volunteered at the local animal shelter too." Bubbles rambled, so much to say with so little time.

Robin and Susie gushed about the idea of getting to see her new room. "You've got to let us come over and see, please?" Robin begged while Susie nodded in agreement.

Elmer and Jeff began explaining how they both had gotten an internship at NASA for an entire month during the summer. "At the end, we got to present what we did to those who worked at NASA!" Jeff explained, pushing his wheelchair towards Bubbles.

Elmer nodded and rubbed his hands together nervously. "It was so cool to see what they did all day. The only downside was the presentation; I hate presenting." Elmer whined, his voice dragging out on the word hate. Jeff turned to Elmer and the two bickered about the worst and best parts of their summer.

Bubbles turned to Pablo and began speaking to him in Spanish. "Cómo estuvo tu verano, Pablo? (How was your summer, Pablo)?"

Pablo smiled, pulling out his photo album. "Muy bien. Yo fui a Mexico y vi a mi familia. (Very good. I went to Mexico and saw my family.)"

Bubbles looked through the album gushing about how cute they all looked. "Tu familia es muy lindo. (Your family is very cute.)" Bubbles handed him back his photo album, turning her attention back to the group.

Clara asked the pair about their conversation, only for Pablo to wave her off. "Nothing, just about my summer. I saw my family down in Mexico." He informed, glancing at Bubbles. While Pablo knew English, Bubbles knew he felt more comfortable when talking in his native language. He jerked his head away when he felt a slight blush crawl onto his cheeks. Clara nodded, telling Pablo about her summer. Before the duo could get too far, the bell went off.

Bubbles hugged her friends and skipped to her next class. Child development was gonna be her favorite class. She couldn't wait to have kids of her own someday, and knew she'd have an absolute blast. Her footsteps slowed down as her thoughts became clouded. '_What if I can't have children? I was made in a lab after all.' _Bubbles thought, only snapping back when she collided with someone. She profusely began apologizing until she realized who she had run into.

There stood Butch, glaring at her like she had just burned down his house. He wore a dark green button-up, with sleeves cuffed. On his lower half were black kakhis. She made a mental note to figure out what he was so dressed up for. Boy, did he clean up nice! Before she got carried away however, she stood up and then dusted herself off. "Watch where you're going next time, shit-for-brains," Butch muttered, turning and walking away.

Bubbles gasped, grabbing her things."I'm not a shit-for-brains!" She exclaimed, walking past him and scurrying to class. Once she walked into class, she couldn't believe what she saw. There, who was supposed to sit next to her, was the name of the wall she had run into: Butch Jojo. The minute he turned into the classroom, his face mirrored hers.

He walked straight to the teacher's desk with his fists clenched. "I need a new seat. I can't sit beside her!" He exclaimed, casting her a dirty look. Bubbles huffed, crossing her arms and looking the other way.

The teacher shrugged and pointed to the seat. "Don't care, go sit down where I put you now." Mr. Hostetter commanded before turning back to his laptop and playing some more games. Butch slammed his hand on the table, startling the teacher. Menace poured from his green eyes, looking into the teacher's own. Mr. Hostetter merely yawned, going back to his computer. Butch gaped and stomped his way to the seat beside Bubbles.

Bubbles glanced at him, taking note of his behavior. He threw his headphones on the ground and began grinding his teeth. Bubbles couldn't help but shake her head, taking out her bedazzled sky blue notebook. She felt goosebumps crawl onto her skin, knowing Butch was watching her. She made sure to avoid meeting his gaze as she pulled out her bedazzled pen. She froze when she heard him laugh. Gulping, she turned her head to him. "What's so funny?" She asked, annoyed by him already.

He shook his head, pointing to her notebook and pen. "You bedazzled your pen _and _your notebook! It looks ridiculous like a baby did it." He commented, showing off his dark green notebook, littered with skulls and other edgy symbols.

Bubbles scoffed, offended by his words. "You're just jealous that my dad encourages creativity and being ourselves." She remarked, enjoying the smirk falling off his face. As soon as it disappeared however, Bubbles couldn't help but feel some sympathy for her desk buddy. "I'm sorry Butch, that was too far. You can feel however you want about my notebook, all that matters is that I like it." She paused and gingerly picked up his notebook to examine it. "Yours is cute too. It suits you! You'll have to show me how you draw skulls so good sometime." She smiled and handed him back his notebook.

Butch narrowed his eyes and took back his notebook. "Whatever. I don't have to show you shit." He egged her on, waiting for her to say something. He was surprised when she just shrugged and began doodling in the top corner of her notebook.

Mr. Hostetter walked to the front of the classroom and clapped his hands. "Good morning class! What a great day to be back, am I right? Say hey to your seat buddy, they'll be your buddy for the entire duration of this class." He paused, allowing his students to quickly mingle. "Anyways, please take out your notes and a writing utensil, it's time for notes."

Butch whipped around in his chair, trying to find a pencil. Even after taking everything out of his bag, he still found nothing. He turned to face Bubbles when he felt a tap on his shoulder. She extended one of her bedazzled pens to him, a soft smile never leaving her face. He snatched it out of her hand, confused as to why she was being so nice to him. "We're going to be sitting together for the duration of the class, we might as well try to make it pleasant." Bubbles answered knowingly, her grin extending upon his thanks.

"Bubbles! Butch! Talking while the teacher is talking already? Don't let this become an issue you two." Mr. Hostetter announced, causing the class to turn their attention onto the pair. The duo's faces mirrored the other's, a red streak across both cheeks. The two looked down at their notebooks, hoping the class would pass by fast.

* * *

* = /pEOPX

** = /huyL8

*** = /hzFK5

**** = /nyFQ3

***** = /cjtE1

****** = /hrEP8

******* = /louGZ

******** = /evAW3

********* = AP Environmental Science

(type in the / and whatever comes behind it after shorturl . at (minus the space) if you would like to see what i envisioned them wearing!)

(i probably won't go into specifics as much in later chapters lol)


	2. Surprises await

Blossom beamed with joy the minute she stepped foot into APES. She pulled out a crisp Fuji apple from her bag and handed it to her teacher. Mrs. Nelson smiled and took the apple. "Thank you, Blossom, how sweet of you! Go ahead and take your seat." Mrs. Nelson thanked, taking a bite of the ripe fruit. Blossom nodded and sat down at the front desk. She pulled out her notebook, planner, sticky notes, and gel pens. As odd as it looked, she felt no shame in being overly prepared.

As the students piled in she took note of everyone purposely avoiding sitting next to her. Her eyes scanned peer after peer, not recognizing any of them. Before too long, however, she recognized Kim and waved her over. "Hey Kim, it's good to see you! Why don't you have a seat beside me?" She offered, pulling out the chair beside her.

Kim smiled at Blossom, her eyes locking onto another open chair. "I would trust me, but you're hard to sit with. No offense or anything though! You're just too nosey when it comes to school stuff. And you're a little bit of a know-it-all sometimes." Kim said, her voice becoming quiet towards the end of her sentence. Blossom's mouth was left agape as she watched Kim sit down with another girl.

Suddenly, the bell went off, signaling the start of class. Blossom frowned at the lonely seat beside her. Now, who would she give unwanted advice to? Blossom sighed, realizing what Kim had meant. She pushed the troubling thoughts out of her head and instead turned her attention to Mrs. Nelson. As she was reading off the syllabus to the students, there came a knock from the door. She calmly walked over and opened the door, revealing a familiar face.

Blossom sucked in a breath when she realized who it was. Boomer Jojo stood in the doorway, a sheepish smile on his face. His cobalt blue sweater was wrinkled, while his pants were ironed. The contrasting look baffled Blossom. She kept a polite smile on her face as the blond sat beside her. While the boys had been in the same grade as the girls since freshman year, she still had concerns about the boys reverting to their old ways.

She snapped out of her thoughts when she felt eyes on her. She turned, locking eyes with Boomer. "Sorry for being late Mrs. Nelson! I couldn't find my way up here, I've never had an AP class before." Boomer apologized, eye contact breaking with Blossom.

Blossom rolled her eyes at his pathetic excuse. "You probably shouldn't be anyways." She muttered, not aware of how loud she was with her comment. Now she would have to spend the year sitting beside Boomer, one of the dumbest boys she knew. How could she have an entire conversation with someone like him? He wouldn't understand anything she has to say. Her thoughts disappeared when she saw hurt flash across his face. He had heard her. Blossom's stomach dropped, realizing she had hurt his feelings for no reason. "Ah, I'm sorry Boomer. I didn't mean for you to hear me." She apologized, smiling at him and offering him a fist bump.

Boomer merely looked at her before shaking his head. "Keep your apology. I don't want it if all you're sorry for is that I heard you. Whether you or anyone else, believes it or not, I have changed. I'm not the kid I used to be anymore. But whatever, think what you will. I guess I'll always be known as the dumb one, huh?" Boomer sneered, before inching his chair further from Blossom.

Blossom lowed her fist, try to ignore her stinging pride. She felt a bit ashamed for what she said. He was right; from what she could see, he and his brothers had changed. They blended in like normal students and hadn't caused any trouble in a long time. And yet, here Blossom was, still treating him like a criminal. She sighed, pulling her planner close to her. '_Make it up to Boomer'_ she wrote, making sure no one else could see what it said.

* * *

Buttercup kicked the soccer ball around in the empty field. If she was going to make varsity, she needed to make sure her game was spot on. Her dribbling improved spectacularly from what it was the previous season. The adrenaline pumping through her blood begged for her to keep going, even when her lungs cried for her to stop. Surprisingly, she heeded their warning and took a seat on the nearby bleachers. She whipped out her phone and began texting Mitch.

_BC: 'Hey Mitch come join me at the soccer field, I need someone to practice with.'_ She bit her lip, trying to contain her excitement. She couldn't help but feel giddy at the thought of being close to Mitch. While she had gotten better at concealing her crushes since the Ace incident. She crossed her arms remembering the event. Never again would she let her feelings put her sisters in danger. Her thoughts were interrupted when she felt her phone buzzing beside her.

MI: '_I can't, I'm in English'_ Buttercup rolled her eyes at his message.

_BC: 'So? You skipped all the time with me last year. Just come on! It's not like you'll miss much anyways, English is borning.' _She encouraged, knowing full well Blossom would not be happy if she were to find out what she was doing.

_MI: 'Sorry, no can do. Talk to you later.'_ She turned off her phone, huffing. How dare he blow her off? Her eyes scanned across the field, searching for anyone worthy of practicing with. The search soon was terminated when her eyes locked onto a familiar red form. She shrugged, deciding to walk towards the figure.

"Hey Brick, care to kick around a ball?" Buttercup offered, throwing it at him. He whirled around, catching the ball. He wore a red sweatshirt and navy blue ripped jeans. Buttercup looked him up and down. "Nice outfit. Now, what do you say, up for a game?"

"Bug off. I have more important things to do than talk to you." Brick sneered, throwing the ball back at her. He turned away, walking towards the track field. Before he could get far, however, Buttercup grabbed his sleeve, stopping him in his tracks.

"Oh shut up you douche. Is it because of how you guys used to act when we were kids? If it is, we've let it go and so should you. Now, suck up your pride and play a quick game with me." Buttercup released his sleeve, waiting for his response. Brick stood still for a few minutes; It seemed as though he was pondering life's deepest secrets. Finally, he rolled his eyes and looked at Buttercup.

"If it'll get you to shut up then fine. You start." Brick announced, taking off his hoodie, revealing a white tank top underneath. Grinning, Buttercup took her place on the field and began dribbling the ball towards him. He ran forward and tried to take it from between her feet, but Buttercup was prepared. She twirled with the Ball and made it around him. Once she cleared him, she kicked the ball into the goal. She cheered and reenacted a crowd praising her.

"And the crowd goes wild! You hear that? 'Go Buttercup, go!' the crowd chants! Buttercup wins!" She paused her showboating, realizing that it signaled the end of her partnered practice. "I guess that means you can go now-" Buttercup began, only to be interrupted when Brick darted past her with the ball. She gasped and began running after him. "Come back here you dirty cheater!" She hollered, closing in on him fast.

"It's not cheating, you were the one distracted! Besides, as if I'd let you win that easily." Brick yelled back, launching the ball into the net. As soon as it reached, Buttercup retrieved it and the game began again. As Brick charged at her, she quickly pulled a Maradona. He countered her footwork by sliding his right foot in between her dribbling.

Once the ball is snatched away, Brick focuses on allowing Buttercup to get closer. When she goes for the tackle, he quickly does a V-pull, forcing Buttercup to regain her momentum. Just before he's about to score, Buttercup cuts in and redirects the ball into the other goal. Brick's jaw drops, surprised by her quick motion. He doesn't stay still for long though and runs to get the ball.

* * *

Buttercup and Brick laid on the grass, their chests heaving with every breath they took. They had been fighting about who won for 20 minutes after they had finished the multitude of rounds they had been through.

"I won!" Buttercup screeched, rolling onto her side to face him. Brick reciprocated the action, propping himself up with one hand and pointing at her with the other.

"No you didn't, I won! Now suck it up and accept your defeat." Brick quipped back. Buttercup growled warningly at the redhead. She was getting fed up with his argumentive demeanor. She quickly launched onto the boy, pinning him down with her hands.

"Stop arguing with me about everything! Just admit I won and I'll let you go." Buttercup ordered, her green eyes ablaze. Brick narrowed his eyes, before flipping her onto her back.

"I won, and that's final. Keep arguing with me and you'll be late to your second period." Brick announced, smirking at his victory. However, his ploy to make her concerned for class didn't work. Instead, Buttercup returned his smirk, flipping him onto his back.

"That doesn't bother me at all sweetcheeks. What's another thirty minutes gonna hurt?" Buttercup hissed, enjoying the surprised look on his face. '_You've got the wrong sister, buddy.'_ She thought, savoring the taste of his defeat. Brick's face suddenly went stoic, confusing Buttercup.

In a quick instance, her hands were caught in his as he peered over top of her. She rolled her eyes, knowing all she had to do was flip him back over. Before she could, however, she became distracted by the ginger leaning in close to her face. His mouth was beside her ear, his hot breath bouncing off of it. Buttercup could feel her heart trying to escape from her chest. She felt a shiver go down her spine and his lips barely caressed her ear.

"Believe what you will, but I think we both know who the winner is." Brick whispered, moving from her ear and instead bringing them face to face. Brick smirked, knowing he had stunned the girl. This right here was his victory. He winked, before blowing on her ear. Buttercup gulped, anticipating his next move.

Brick got up and dashed away from the field, leaving Buttercup laying in the grass. Buttercup pried herself off the ground, feeling weak in the knees. Her face was hot and red, sticking out from her usual color palette. She released the breath she had been holding in after noticing no one around her.

"Okay not gonna lie that was kinda hot." Buttercup realized, feeling even more embarrassed. She quickly grabbed her ball, along with the rest of her things, and took off for her next class.

* * *

The three girls piled in the house as soon as they had arrived. The day had worn them out, and all three needed an outlet.

"I'm taking a nap, wake me up when dinner's ready." Buttercup announced, heading for her room. Bubbles shrugged, before turning to Blossom. She smiled, ready to drag the girl into her room for gossip. Before she could though, Blossom began walking up the stairs.

"I'm going to be busy planning and making things, no one bother me until dinner." Blossom ordered, projecting her voice so that Buttercup could hear her too. Bubbles frowned, disappointed at losing the opportunity to talk about her day. Suddenly, the basement door opened and out came the professor. She beamed and dashed towards him.

"Professor! We're home! Do you wanna hear how my day went?" Bubbles asked, happy to have someone to talk to. The professor glanced down at her as he grabbed things from the cabinet. He sent her an apologetic look before heading back downstairs.

"Sorry Bubbles, as much as I would love to, I can't right now. We can talk about it during dinner though!" He apologized, closing the door behind him. Bubbles pouted, before flying to her room. She grumbled, reluctantly deciding to pick up the mess she had made that morning trying to get ready.

* * *

Just as she got done, suddenly came yelling from the professor. Bubbles jumped from her fuzzy spot and flew downstairs. She sped through the living room and into the kitchen. There, stood the professor, with a wide smile on his face. Panting, Bubbles looked around the kitchen to see what the trouble was. Right behind her came Buttercup and Blossom, in their attack poses.

"What's wrong professor?" Blossom asked, concerned with what could be wrong. "Are you hurt?" She stepped forward to examine him, only for him to put his hand out to stop her.

"I'm fine girls, sorry for worrying you. I just have someone I want you to meet." The professor announced, smiling from ear to ear. "Close your eyes girls, I'll be right back." His footsteps echoed as he walked away. The girls looked at one another, before shrugging and complying. The girls could hear the sound of multiple footsteps, as well as the professors. "Open your eyes, girls." He said, excitement oozing from his voice.

The girls froze when they opened their eyes, shocked by what stood in front of them. Three young girls stood in front of them, each wearing familiar striped dresses, white stockings, and black mary janes.

"Say hi to your new sisters: Brooke, Bunni, and Brandy." The professor addressed, introducing each girl.


	3. Family

Bubbles was the first to snap out of her trance, clapping her hands and squealing.

"Professor, you made more little girls!" She cheered, picking up the one on the right. The girl was smaller than the others, with short, wavy, strawberry blonde hair. Her dress was a cinnamon brown, matching her eyes. Brandy shyly wrapped her arms around Bubbles' neck, a stick tightly enclosed in her hand. Buttercup and Blossom finally snapped back from their trance, looking at their little sisters.

"Did you recreate Bunny?" Blossom questioned, leaning close to the girl. Her dress and eyes were the same shade as the previous sisters. Her hair was pulled atop her head in a side ponytail. She smiled and leaned forward to grab Blossom. Surprised, Blossom fell onto her backside, Bunni still on top of her, hugging her tightly.

"Not exactly! I tried the same formula you girls used when she was made originally, just with slight differences. I used honey instead of artificial sweetener, and cinnamon instead of sticks and dirt. I kept most of what you girls had determined as 'everything nice', and the chemical x of course. Then before I knew it, there they were!" The professor explained, patting the remaining girl beside him.

Buttercup went up to her and gave her a gentle fist bump. The girl giggled, deciding to hold onto Buttercup's hand. She smiled, reciprocating her grip. Her dress was a warm, honey-yellow, with matching eyes. Her hair was a sparkling amber, encased in twin braided pigtails.

"So does Bunny remember any of what happened?" Buttercup asked, spinning Brooke around. Brooke grinned from cheek to cheek, laughing. The professor leaned on the counter.

"No, she doesn't. I already checked and did multiple tests. I think it has to do with the different ingredients I used. From what I can tell, they're two different people. They just have similar personalities and DNA. The main difference is that this version of Bunni is now stable, compared to her counterpart. That's why I differentiated their names; this one has her name spelled with an I at the end instead of a y!" The professor announced, flipping through his clipboard.

Blossom nodded, prying Bunni off her and standing up. She picked Bunni up, smiling at her love for attention.

"That's great then professor! Where are they going to sleep though?" Bubbles asked, peering out the Kitchen to look at the upstairs.

"They'll sleep in the old room from when you were little girls! I'll have to make some color changes for them of course." He said hugging his eldest daughters.

"We'll help you, professor!" Blossom offered, knowing the other two would agree with her. He nodded, taking out his card.

"Thank you, Blossom, we can take them to get furniture. Bubbles, Buttercup, would you mind staying here to fix up the room, including the quilt?" He suggested, leaving the house with Blossom and the triplets.

"You can count on us, Professor!" Buttercup hollered high fiving Bubbles. She grinned, plugging up her phone to the stereo to play music while they worked. Bubbles grabbed her sewing kit and began working on a new cover for the girls. Buttercup grabbed a bucket containing turquoise paint and flew up the stairs.

* * *

Bubbles wiped the sweat from her brow, ogling her work. It looked as if it had been bought from the store itself! She hummed along to the music as she folded the blanket, placing it with the matching pillowcases she had made. Stretching, she got up from her cozy spot and flew up the stairs. If Blossom wasn't there to see them, then what was wrong with breaking the rules just a little bit? She walked into her familiar room, excited to see what Buttercup had gotten done, only to panic at the sight in front of her.

"Oh my gosh, Buttercup! You made a mess! There's turquoise paint all over the carpet and the walls aren't even done yet!" She exclaimed, frantically pointing around the room. Buttercup rolled her eyes and shooshed her.

"Chill out Bubbles, it's fine! I was going to peel up the carpet and leave it hardwood anyways. Now stop screaming and help me finish up in here will ya?" Buttercup assured her and handed her a paintbrush. Bubbles pondered for a moment.

"Are we allowed to just remove the carpet?" Bubbles questioned, worried about what the professor might say. Buttercup shrugged, continuing to paint.

"I don't see why not, it's not like he said we couldn't. It'll look so cool that they won't notice it anyways." Buttercup answered, glancing back at Bubbles. Bubbles shrugged, grabbing a paintbrush to help Buttercup finish the room. With the two of them together, the walls were done in no time. "Don't tell Blossom we've been flying around the house." Buttercup ordered, narrowing her eyes at her sister. Bubbles nodded, zipping her lips shut.

* * *

Just as Buttercup and Bubbles had finished, they heard the front door open below. They darted out, ready to help set up the room. The triplets, however, were already on it, throwing furniture into their room and setting everything into place on their own. Bubbles and Buttercup came running down the stairs to greet Blossom and the professor, both covered in their own pattern of paint. Blossom laughed, shaking her head at her siblings.

"You girls are a mess!" The professor acknowledged, giving both his girls a pat on their head. They laughed, nodding in agreement.

"I know," Bubbles began, before glancing up the stairs. "But you won't believe what we did to the upstairs!" She exclaimed, clapping her hands and bouncing lightly on her heels.

"Yeah, we made it look pretty sick in there." Buttercup shrugged, trying to look as nonchalant as possible.

"Done!" The triplets upstairs announced, popping their heads out to let everyone know they were good for everyone to come in. The rest of the family pooled in, examining the decorations.

"The room does look, great girls!" The professor nodded approvingly, causing Bubbles and Buttercup to high five in victory. "I like that you girls got rid of the carpet, I wouldn't have thought of that. Thanks for being such a big help." He kissed their heads, before walking into the triplets' room.

"I have to go do homework, so I'll see you guys later. Let me know when dinner's ready." Blossom announced before scurrying off to her room. Bubbles shrugged glancing at Buttercup. The duo raced down to the kitchen, picking out ingredients to cook with.

"I think we should have a fun dinner that'll still be healthy," Bubbles began, flipping through her cookbook. "Maybe these mini bell pepper pizzas?" She finished, pointing to her designated recipe. Buttercup 'hmmed', pulling out her own cookbook and flipping through it.

"I like where you're going with pizza peppers, but I think we should also have a little something else for sides. I'm thinking pigs in a blanket and macaroni and cheese." She held up the two recipes, her stomach growling at the thought of the carbs.

"I dunno, that's an awful lot of carbs." Bubbles acknowledged, looking at the nutritional values. Buttercup waved her off, turning to the cabinets and pulling out the necessary cookware.

"No way, it'll be fine. Besides, they need the carbs if they're going to be taking over the fighting in the city." Buttercup answered, passing Bubbles a pot. She nodded before setting up her iPod to play music. Buttercup rolled her eyes at her sister's cheesy pop music, but couldn't help to groove with her. The pair twirled, hip bumped and even did the macarena while they were waiting for the food to cook. When the timer went off, Bubbles shut off the music while Buttercup yelled up the stairs.

"Dinner's done, you're welcome!" She exclaimed, helping set out the silverware and plates as the family piled in. They all ate, the table more noisy than usual due to the new chatter. However, unlike the usual dinners, Blossom sat nearly silent the entire time.

"Hey, you good Bloss?" Buttercup questioned quietly, nudging the ginger beside her. Blossom jumped at the sudden contact before laughing off her question.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm just tired- long day is all." She explained, finishing her food. "May I be excused?" She asked, cleaning up her spot at the table when the professor allowed her to do so. Buttercup watched her sister walk away, before shrugging it off and continuing her own dinner.

* * *

Blossom dived onto her bed, her office supplies flying once the contact was made. Rolling over, she glanced at her planner, trying to cross off ideas.

"No, this one is too public. I need something at least relatively private." She spoke, marking out what she thought wasn't good enough. Finally, after spending the previous hours deciding, she made her decision. She whipped out her laptop and began researching Boomer. Before long, she was able to find an article written about him from their Junior year.

"'Local boy organizes soup kitchen through his Key Club as President'" Blossom read aloud, her eyebrows raised in shock. In the article, Boomer was standing in a soup kitchen, hugging a little old woman. Blossom couldn't believe what she was reading. '_That's like a whole 360, he's in charge of a club dedicated to community service?'_ She wondered, scrolling down the article to finish reading. She then took out a canvas and began sketching his features. Her sketching was soon interrupted when a soft knock came from her door.

"Come in." She spoke, hiding her canvas under her blanket. Once she gave permission, the door was opened and in stepped Brandy. Blossom smiled as she scurried over, her stick from prior still in her hands. Blossom gave her a puzzled look, pointing at the stick in her hand. Brandy looked down, before showing the stick to Blossom.

"It's my favorite stick." She acknowledged, climbing on Blossom's bed to sit beside her. Though Blossom had tried to hide the canvas, Brandy still managed to find it. Most likely through her x-ray vision is what Blossom determined. "Who's this?" She asked, her quiet voice trembled as the words came out. Blossom couldn't help but smile fondly and wrap an arm around the soft-spoken girl.

"It's this guy I know; his name's Boomer." She responded, showing Brandy the picture she was going off of. "I'm going to paint a picture of him based off of this article as an apology." She stated, informing her sister before she could ask. Brandy nodded knowingly, then looked up at the ginger.

"Why paint something? You could always just give a sincere apology. If you mean it then he's sure to feel it." Brandy determined, handing her stick to Blossom. "You can hold onto my stick. It'll make you feel brave tomorrow." She hugged Blossom, squeezing her tightly. Blossom returned the gesture after putting the stick beside her laptop. As she was walking out, Brandy looked back at Blossom.

"I love you, goodnight! Good luck with your friend." Brandy exclaimed, closing the door when she heard Blossom's, 'I love you too, goodnight'. Blossom shook her head, looking at the stick sitting in her palm. She laughed and put inside her bedside drawer to keep it safe. She quickly returned to her canvas and finished her sketching. Before long, she had begun painting. Due to sheer will to be good at it, Blossom had upgraded her art skills throughout the years. By the time she was done with her painting, it looked realistic; so much so that it looked like she had just enlarged a photo onto a canvas.

"Perfect!" She spoke aloud to her self, sitting the canvas on the easel for it to dry. She changed into her pink nightgown and crept into the hallway. She decided to check on each of her family members while they slept.

Bubbles was sound asleep in her bed, covered in stuffed animals. She smiled noticing that she had fallen asleep with her light on. She turned it off, noticing her sister beginning to toss at the absence of light. She quickly turned on her globe nightlight, before placing a kiss on her sister's forehead and tucking her in. She closed the door behind her, then walked over to Buttercup's room.

Her room was completely dark, save for her dying phone light illuminating her cheek. Blossom chuckled at her, before walking over to her beside. Buttercup's music came pouring out of her headphones as Blossom took them out of her ears. She turned off the music and plugged the phone in. She then turned on Buttercup's TV, still on the music station. She gave her a peck before heading out of her room.

She turned out of her room, heading inside the room of the newest additions to the family. The triplets slept soundly, holding onto one another. Blossom turned off their TV, tucking them in. As she was walking out of the room she noticed the night light lying on the ground and decided to plug it in.

Before she could get to her room, she noticed a light shining down from the living room. She peeked over the railing, noticing the professor sound asleep on the couch. The TV was still playing whatever late-night documentary he had been watching. She quietly flew down and picked him up effortlessly. She turned off the TV and the light, before flying him upstairs to his room and putting him into his bed.

She returned to her room after completely her nightly ritual, including the new addition. She plopped onto her bed, rolling onto her side to get comfortable. However, she had trouble falling asleep due to her thoughts demanding to get through. Her head swirled at the thought of her new little sisters. '_They don't need you anymore. Everything you've done and trained for is useless now.' _Her mind spoonfed her the cruel thoughts, lapping up her misery. She sighed, trying to shake out her ailments. Finally, as she closed her eyes again, she was able to go to sleep and stay asleep.


End file.
